Qiraji
thumb|The Prophet Skeram General The Qiraji are a race of insectoid creatures in Southern Silithus. Society Different types of Qiraji are referred to as castes with a life-long occupation and responsibility in society. It seemes to be that every caste has an leader, who is under the command of the Twin Emperors, Vek'nilash and Vek'lor. The brothers are unique in their very humanoid appearance. Another caste are the prophets with Skeram as their leader. The gladiators are lead by General Rajaxx. The Qiraji are able to create servants of living obsidian stone, the Obsidian Destroyer, the Anubisaths, and the Horisaths. Culture The Qiraji and their servants wield items made with the rarest and finest materials: bones from gargantuan ancient creatures, gems from the depths of the earth, metals pure and strong. The most powerful Qiraji wield items of such might they'd give pause even to a dragon. The rings worn by the Qiraji lieutenants are rumored to grant them formidable abilities. The corrupted gems that adorn them could, in theory, be swapped out with more pure materials to create uncorrupted versions of the rings. History At the ancient continent Kalimdor's center was a mysterious lake of incandescent energies, the Well of Eternity. It was the true heart of the world's magic and natural power. From this magical ether the Silithid were born. As the fallen Old God C'Thun recognized their appearance, he attempted to sunder the world that it once held in its unmerciful grasp. The Old God created avatars from the Silithid in its own image. These avatars were called the Azi Aqir, who later split up into the Qiraji and the Nerubians. Sentient and unimaginably evil, the Qiraji worked feverishly to build a force capable of laying waste to the world that would betray their god, with the Silithids as their minions. The great fortress city of Ahn'Qiraj was created in southern Silithus to house their growing armies and prepare for the coming of C'Thun. The Qiraji spent the next thousands of years building an army capable of exacting revenge upon the whole of Kalimdor. Only the night elves, who once inhabited Silithus, stood in their way. The War of the Shifting Sands rages for long, agonizing months. The night elves were always on the defensive, always outnumbered, always being driven back. The whole of Silithus was soon engulfed by the Silithid and their Qiraji hosts. The night elf army was pushed back through Un'Goro, to the borders of the Tanaris desert. Out of desperation the night elven leader Fandral Staghelm sought the aid of the elusive bronze dragonflight. Their initial refusal to interfere was reversed when the brazen Qiraji attacked the Caverns of Time, home and province of Nozdormu the Timeless One. Nozdormu's heir, Anachronos, agreed to enlist the bronze dragonflight against the marauding Qiraji. Every able-bodied night elf joined the cause, and together they forged a campaign to retake Silithus. Even with the might of the dragons backing them, however, the sheer numbers of the Qiraji and silithid proved overwhelming. And so Anachronos called upon the progeny of the remaining flights. Even so, it seemed that the numbers of Qiraji and silithid were never-ending. So the dragons and Fandral hatched their final, desperate plan: to contain the Qiraji within the city, to erect a barrier that would confine them until a more hopeful stratagem could be devised. With the blessing of Elune the barrier was erected before their eyes, rock and stone and roots from beneath the sands emerging to create an impenetrable wall. Even the winged soldiers who attempted to fly over the barrier met with an invisible obstruction that they could not pass. The Qiraji who remained outside the wall were quickly slain. The dragon told Fandral that should any mortal ever wish to pass the magical barrier and access the ancient city, they need only strike the scepter against the gong and the gates would open. He then handed the scepter to the Arch-Druid. Now the unmentionable Old God slowly awakens from his slumber beneath Ahn'Qiraj. The terrible fate that awaits Azeroth could come in days or years; time has no meaning for beings of his power. Both the Alliance and the Horde work together to reopen the Gates of Ahn'Qiraj and to face the Qiraji once more. ;See also: *Origin of the races: The Evolution of the Silithids *War of the Shifting Sands *Prophecy of C'Thun *C'Thun *Ahn'Qiraj *Silithid Category:Creatures Category:Intelligent Creatures Category:Lore